The Librarian of Congress announced May 18 the formation of a 20-member private sector group to advise the Library and the Copyright Office on improvements that can be made to the system of copyright registration and deposit through which the Library receives works of enduring value for its collections.
The group will be co-chaired by Robert Wedgeworth, president of the International Federation of Libraries and Library Associations, who is now at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, and former Register of Copyrights Barbara Ringer, one of the principal architects of the 1976 Copyright Act.
The formation of the group is a response to the introduction on Feb. 16, 1993, of H.R. 897 by Rep. William J. Hughes (D-N.J.) and S. 373 by Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.). The bills propose significant changes in the Copyright Act, which governs copyright registration and the relationship of the Copyright Office to the Library of Congress.
In announcing the advisory group, Dr. Billington said: "Congressman Hughes and Senator DeConcini have asked the Library and the Copyright Office to reexamine their relationship and the present system of copyright registration.
"Our task is to assure that creators and copyright owners are protected by copyright law while also ensuring that works resulting from their labors are acquired and preserved for the education and enrichment of future generations. The current system has allowed the Library to develop its unmatched collections of books, films, periodicals and other materials on behalf of the nation.
"We also must consider any possible burdens and inequities that may have developed in recent years, as well as the benefits of a public registry to authors, copyright owners, users of the system, the court, and the public. The distinguished men and women who have offered to assist the Library and the Copyright Office can help us devise suggestions for the Congress to consider."
The group is expected to begin its work shortly and complete at least a substantial part of it within six months.
